


Analysis Document Retrieved from the IoH Archive

by GodOfCats



Series: Fanatic Fiction [5]
Category: Multi-Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-06 22:37:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20514629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GodOfCats/pseuds/GodOfCats
Summary: Document summarised for publication by the Institute of Humanity. The following is a research document submitted by C. Corswood approaching Dreamer's Disease from a psychological and pseudo-neurobiological perspective. It is not to be reproduced without express permission from the Institute of Humanity.





	Analysis Document Retrieved from the IoH Archive

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Analysis of Psychological Determiners and Effects of Dreamer’s Disease:

Construction of a Prototypical Risk-Factor Model

C. Corswood, M. Takano & M. Kurisu

Research Authorised by The Institute of Humanity

Nice, France

[Summarised version for publication]

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Abstract

_ From Dreamer’s Disease’s first being reported in 2024, there has been a rapidly increasing global growth in the rate of infection. With the widespread nature of this phenomena, heavy research has been conducted into the nature of the disease by institutes worldwide. Despite this, the exact nature of the disease remains a mystery. We conducted a series of meta-analysis of the current research data in order to determine a possible risk-factor model for Dreamer’s Disease. Following this, we substantiated this model by conducting two sets of physical investigations based upon the model. While the model matched retrospectively to the vast majority of recorded cases with high reliability, it was not successful in predicting future victims. Furthermore, our latter examination based on our hypothesised root cause was found to be largely unsubstantiated. Further research is required. _

* * *

Introduction

The first recorded instance of Dreamer’s Disease was discovered in California, America in October, 2024. A woman, aged 31, was admitted to a public hospital with severe abdominal pains and non-localised swelling of the body. An x-ray of the body noted immense pressure on the heart, unnatural pulsation of the brain and mild internal tearing of muscle and organ tissue following no clear pattern. Psychiatric evaluation showed evidence of mild insomnia and non-specified paranoid delusions. Besides this, she was noted as both intelligent and aware. She was provided generic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication for the swelling, as well as beta-blockers for her irregular heartbeat. Due to the unclear nature of her disorder, she was admitted to in-patient to be held overnight. At the reassurance of doctors, the woman was able to sleep. 48 hours later, she was officially noted as being in a comatose state. Furthermore, the inflammation of the body had reached severe levels. This was accompanied by a rapid generation of skin in thick coats that bound and constricted the flesh. Within another period of 48 hours, swelling had reached breaking point and the skin ruptured across multiple points of the body and burst. Postmortem analysis of the body indicates that the bone and muscle tissue, and the organs besides the heart had fused to the outer skin in a form of protective coating that left the inside of the body hollow. Traces of unidentified fluids were also found in the aftermath, as well as a humanoid creature. Presumably female, blue hair. No identifiable genetic connections.

Since then there have been over 400 accounts of Dreamer’s Disease across the globe, with the vast majority centred around America and South-East Asia. In each case the symptoms that occur in chronological order are:

  1. Psychological Discomfort and Drowsiness
  2. Swelling of the Body, Irregular Heartbeat, Irregular Brain Patterns
  3. Entering a Comatose State
  4. Excess Growth of Skin, Hardening of Skin
  5. Rupturing of the Body and Death

In the aftermath of each case, a living organism is observed among the ruptured cadaver. All organisms take on physiology and psychology that mirror that of fictional characters, primarily (but not consistently) those of contemporary Japanese media. These organism are often, but not always, humanoid in shape. Despite their potential physical differences, all organism thus far are fully biological beings. Similar to their range in shape is their range in intelligence and physical capability. Most of these organisms are capable of human speech, and many exhibit superhuman ability. It should be noted that in regards to human speech, the language that the organism speak is instinctively comprehensible regardless of language barrier. The mechanisms behind this are still ultimately unclear, however this is outside the scope of the current study.

A major factor in understanding Dreamer’s Disease is the implication of psychological factors at play. As noted, the first symptom of the disease is an increase in psychological discomfort. In addition, despite heavy physiological/neurophysiological research into the area, there is no evidence of a biological cause for the heavy onset drowsiness experienced during the first phase of the disease. Finally, it is unclear what the mechanism behind infection is. There is no evidence suggesting airborne, contact or consumable infection. In fact, there is no evidence for any physical means by which the infection transfers at all. Due to this, we believe that the psychological state of those afflicted serves as a necessary condition for becoming infected with the disease. In essence, Dreamer’s Disease is at least partly psychosomatic.

In order to validate this hypothesis, a meta-analysis of prior self-report and observational studies was conducted with reference to 8 dimensions. These dimensions were influenced by Erica Rohm’s prior study _The Connection Between Media and Transformation: A Longitudinal Observational Study of Twenty Dreamer’s Disease Patients_ (2026) however while Rohm focused on patients general relationship with media in relationship to their disease, we are hoping to prepare a preventative manual for highlighting those at risk. As a result, of Rohm’s 6 proposed criteria we have adopted and adapted 4. We have further tested 4 other criteria that we have determined through initial examination of the data. Ultimately, the 8 dimensions we wish to test were as follow:

  1. Idealisation (of the resulting organism)*
  2. Familiarity (with the resulting organism)*
  3. Escapism* 
  4. Media Usage*
  5. Misanthropy
  6. Positive Sleeping Habits
  7. Intellectual Capacity
  8. Empathetic Capacity

_* Dimensions based upon Rohm’s aforementioned study_

Methodology 1

The 8 proposed dimensions were tested against 48 peer-reviewed studies compiled by The Institute of Humanity. Of those studies, 25 were self-report studies conducted within heavily affected countries, 10 were self-report studies conducted in lightly affected countries, and the remainder were observational studies from multiple hospitals and research facilities worldwide. The results on the self report studies were transposed to the 8 dimensions of our current study. The observational reports were scored in the 8 dimensions through the use of language analysis of direct quotes from the afflicted.

Results and Conclusions 1

When examining the results of this study, it is integral to note that there are multiple classifications of the organism that result from Dreamer’s Disease. Earlier studies refer to this as a binary classification (social and anti-social, good and evil, heroic and villainous) with the common laymans terminology being “wicked” and “righteous” (with righteous also referring to the non-infected.) However, examining prior reports it becomes clear that this is not a binary classification. As such, we have utilised Allan Mergot’s threeway classification of entity ideology (_Alien Morality and the Fiction Archetype_, 2030) which classes these beings as either antagonistic, protagonistic, or unaligned. Antagonistic beings emulate characters which are portrayed as being ultimately amoral, while protagonistic beings emulate characters which are portrayed as ultimately virtuous. Those who fall outside of those archetypes are referred to as being unaligned.

With these results, we have run a regression analysis on the data as a whole and again with the data divided into the three aforementioned classifications. Of the 8 dimensions, only 5 held any bearing on predicting Dreamer’s Disease. Idealisation, Escapism, Misanthropy, Sleeping Habits, and Empathetic Capacity. Of those 5 only 3 were universal. Idealisation, Escapism and Positive Sleeping Habits all held a significant negative correlation to Dreamer’s Disease. However, the first two dimensions were found to be strongly related to eachother indicating that they are one and the same. The third dimension was unrelated to either Meanwhile, Misanthropy and Empathetic Capacity held a positive and negative correlation with the antagonistic classification respectively, and vice-versa for the protagonistic classification. None were significant either way towards an unaligned classification.

What we can conclude from this is that individuals who hold escapist mentality and those who have poor sleep patterns are typically more likely to avoid becoming infected with Dreamer’s Disease. We can also presume that there is some level of psycho-emotional consistency between the resulting creature and the infected, however it is also entirely possible that someone afflicted could ultimately end up as unaligned no matter what perspective they hold.

As a result, we produced our ultimate risk-factor model:

Risk factors for Dreamer’s Disease:

  1. Positive Regard for One’s Reality
  2. Positive Sleeping Habits

Risk factors for antagonistic-type results:

  1. Antisocial Ideology

Methodology 2

90 occupants of Institute of Humanity survivors camps were tasked with completing a battery of self-report tests correlating with the 3 measures noted on our risk factor model, as well as the aforementioned Rohm 6 Dimension DD-Media Index. They were then monitored over a 6 month period with frequent reports on their condition and any many changes to their scores on the given tests.

Results and Conclusions 2

While the results of the infected were highly correlated with what we expected to see based on our risk factor model, the model fails at being an effective predictor of Dreamer’s Disease due to the high potential for false positives. A strong and significant correlation was found between the model and the 42 afflicted Dreamer’s Disease, however of the 48 remaining unaffected by the disease 21 scored within the danger area on the given tests. As such, the model will have to be reworked to better focus in on more direct predictors of the disease. As it stands, we presume that the reason the current model fails to avoid the issue of false positives is due to the relative sparseness of its criteria. Providing more criteria in future may serve to better take preventative action against the infected.

One interesting side effect of our research was the discovery of a statistically significant trend within given cohorts. Those communities with a larger number of members who scored highly on Rohm’s index produced a higher number of infected, whereas those with a small amount of members produced relatively few, and those with none did not produce any infected at all.

What this leads us to believe is that the infection is not a single element disease. Rather, we hypothesise that it is the product of two individuals. A transmitter and a receiver. Transmitters infected with the disease do not display the symptoms associated with Dreamer’s Disease. Rather, they serve to broadcast a signal that awakens the dormant infection within the receivers. Transmitters tend to score abnormally high in rates of Idealisation, Familiarity and Escapism. Later applying our 8 dimension initial measure, we also found they have higher Misanthropy. As a result, we can add presence of a potential transmitter to our earlier mentioned risk factor model.

Of course, this hypothesis presumes that there is some mechanism by which an infected transmitter may set the infection within a receiver to active. Without being able to determine this mechanism any means to directly cure Dreamer’s Disease would be futile. As such, we propose the most likely means by which the infection works. A parasite of the brain which communicates between differently psychologically primed individuals.

Methodology 3

In order to determine the veracity of our hypothesis, we aimed to find direct proof of our theoretical parasite. 12 participants were provided to us by the Institute of Humanity, total. Of the 12, they were split into 3 groups of 4. High-risk receiver, high-risk transmitter, and a control group from the same population that the others were drawn from.

Each individual was subjected to an EEG test and CAT scan before having their physiology examined through direct invasive means. In every case, we removed the scalp of the individual and recorded the state of the brain while still living. Then, we removed the brain and performed a full autopsy. The brain was cut into its individual areas and examined for any irregularities, in each case being compared to the standard early-infected and non-infected brain through prior medical notes.

Results and Conclusions 3

Unfortunately, we failed to find any evidence of parasitic activity in either the living or recently deceased brain in all 12 participants. Of the 12, only 1 within the high-risk receiver group demonstrated any abnormal physiological changes to the brain associated with Dreamer’s Disease. These changes were, however, mild. CAT and EEG both showed nothing of note. As such, the results of this experiment are entirely inconclusive.

It should be noted that our test size was rather small. Perhaps with further repetitions of this study we could better find evidence of the root cause of this disease? As it stands, we cannot conclusively reject or accept our hypothesis. Further study is desperately needed.

* * *

_ Disclaimer: _

_ This research was sponsored by the Institute of Humanity for private use by said organisation. It has however been peer-reviewed by outside organisations since then in order for it to be published. Publication of this work or any other form of reproduction or reprinting of this work for private use is strictly prohibited.  _


End file.
